Carry You with Me
by Amledo
Summary: Modern AU. Thorin had thought it would be a mundane morning at The Lonely Mountain Pub and Grill. He hadn't accounted for Professor Bilbo Baggins.
1. Chapter 1

(A/N: So I can't seem to let go the concept of Soul Mates, especially in this fandom. So I present to you a Hobbit modern AU. I don't own anything to do with the Hobbit and I know I'm not the first person to have this idea. So read it and enjoy if you please.)

Carry You with Me

The bar was dead this time of day, but that didn't stop them from being open just in case. Thorin was busy wiping down glasses from the night before, something that should have gotten done before closing but had been left for the morning shift by his nephews. The boys had been swamped, he knew that, the profits reflected it, and so he forgave them for leaving him a mess to clean up.

"Excuse me?" a voice sounded from somewhere near the entrance and Thorin looked up in shock. A customer?

"Yes? How might I help you?" he asked, adjusting his gaze to the young man that had come in so quietly.

"Are you open…or am I intruding?" the shorter man asked, seeming shy and hesitant. He had a backpack hanging from one shoulder and his blond-brown curls were quite a mess, but he was not the usual run-down looking type that came in so early. No, he was wearing a hoodie with the emblem of the local community college emblazoned on it and a pair of blue jeans that appeared to be in good condition. And he was absolutely beautiful. But that was a thought for another time; Thorin figured that he had spent too long staring at the gorgeous strange already.

"No, you aren't intruding. Please have a seat," he forced himself to say and gestured to the barstool nearest to himself.

"Thank you," the stranger said and took a seat, heaving his bag onto the bar and letting the tension flow out of his body until he was leaning forward with both elbows on the bar in front of him.

"Rough day already?" Thorin asked, looking to the clock and seeing that it was indeed only 9 in the morning.

"You could say that. I taught my first class today. About half of them showed up, less than half of those believed that I was the Professor. I'm not looking forward to tomorrow," the stranger rubbed at his face with both hands as he spoke before righting himself and sticking one out for Thorin to shake. "I'm Bilbo Baggins by the way. I'm the new Professor of Local History at Erebor Community College," he said by way of an introduction. For a moment Thorin didn't know what to think, so he acted on instinct and what his manners told him to do, shaking Bilbo's hand and smiling softly.

"Thorin Oakenshield, owner and operator of The Lonely Mountain Pub and Grill," he said as he remembered himself and released Bilbo's hand after what felt like an appropriate amount of time. He hadn't been so bowled over by the beauty of a man in quite some time.

"I hadn't expected to meet the owner, it's very nice to meet you Mr. Oakenshield," Bilbo said, and Thorin hated the propriety of those words.

"Just Thorin, if you please," Thorin said at once, nearly interrupting the younger man, and he had to be at least ten years younger than Thorin himself. There were no lines of care on his face and not a single hair hinting at greying. And somehow the fact that he was so much younger did not stop Thorin from desiring the shorter man.

"Thorin then, could I trouble you for some tea, or coffee?" Bilbo asked and Thorin very much liked the sound of his name on those lips.

"I've got coffee in the back, give me just a minute and I will get you a cup," he said and watched Bilbo give a nod before vanishing through the door that connected the bar to the kitchen.

He took a moment to breathe, shaking his head to clear the cobwebs of infatuation from his mind and remind himself that there was likely no chance in the world that Bilbo was attracted to him. The coffee was over an hour old, but it was the best he could do, and he figured that it couldn't hurt to have a cup of the stuff himself. So he grabbed two mugs down and filled them from the carafe before dumping the rest and setting a new batch to brew.

Now certain that he could deal with the blinding beauty of the younger man without seeming like a babbling idiot, he grabbed both mugs and turned to leave the kitchen. The box of donuts that his nephews had left for him as an apology caught his eye and he shifted the mugs so that he was holding them both in one hand in order to pick it up. Why not offer the smaller man a donut or two; he looked awfully thin under that hoodie.

"Here we are, and some donuts to help make up for a rough first day," he said, hoping that he sounded like he was being sympathetic instead of hitting on the other man. Bilbo smiled and accepted the mug of coffee as the door swung shut behind Thorin.

"Wonderful, coffee and donuts are one of my favorite breakfasts," Bilbo said with genuine cheer in his voice and Thorin couldn't help but smile in return.

"That's perfect then. So tell me Bilbo, what brings you here?" he asked, returning to his task of wiping down glasses whilst the smaller man seemed to be agonizing over which donut to select.

"I wanted a quiet place to grade the kids' first quiz. I won't get any peace at the college, they've got all of us non-tenured types doubling up on offices," Bilbo said, finally picking up a plain glazed donut and taking a bite. He closed his eyes in bliss as he slowly chewed the sugary pastry and Thorin turned his eyes away from that angelic face, hoping to stay focused on the task at hand.

"A quiz on the first day of classes? Seems a bit rough to me," Thorin commented, scrubbing at a martini glass with vigor to remove the caramel sticking to the inside. Sometimes he wished that if the boys were going to leave him a mess that they would at least leave it soaking in the sink.

"It helps weed out the kids that are just taking it to fill credit hours. I want serious students," Bilbo said and shrugged, unzipping the backpack to pull a fat stack of papers out. The one on top was done in red and seemed to be the template for the answers to the quiz.

"Seems like a pretty sound tactic. I'll bet they took you more seriously as a Professor once you dished out a quiz," Thorin said with a smile, pausing to push his shirtsleeves back up to his elbows so that they were out of the water. He didn't expect Bilbo to bust out laughing the way that he did, the sound wasn't harsh but almost musical.

"Oh they did, a few of them decided right then that the class wasn't worth the effort and left. I'm expecting good things from the ones that stuck it out though," Bilbo explained with a smile that almost managed to steal Thorin's breath. He wondered why now, at 40 years old, he was suddenly feeling like a teenager again. What was it about the younger man that took him back to those days? It wasn't possible that this Bilbo was _the _Bilbo, was it?

Thorin looked at his wrist where the name was written in neat script. There had been over a hundred other Bilbo's on the Soul Mate Registry, none of them looking for a Thorin. He had all but given up on the idea of ever finding the one that had his name on their wrist, hell, he didn't even know if it was a man or a woman that he was supposed to be looking for as the name seemed to be at least mildly popular as a girl's name if not as much as it was for boys. But he supposed that it couldn't hurt to ask.

"Well I sincerely hope that they deliver for you," Thorin took a breath and steeled himself for rejection, "Bilbo, would it be too much to ask…" he trailed off and sighed, he didn't have the courage to say the words. Somehow the idea of being told 'no' by the beautiful man at the bar was more painful than he cared to think.

"I'm pretty sure I know what you're going to ask. So here," Bilbo said and stuck out his left arm, pushing the sleeve of his hoodie up. There right at the bend of his wrist was Thorin's name as if he had written it himself. His own mark had changed over the years as whoever it belonged to had developed their handwriting skills. In a daze he presented his own wrist for inspection.

"Please tell me it's a match, because that's my handwriting you've got on you," Thorin said, swallowing his shock, fear, and excitement. He had been waiting since puberty for this moment and he wasn't about to let it slip away.

Bilbo didn't respond, instead he linked their fingers together and drew Thorin's soapy wet hand to his lips, pressing a kiss to the name on the taller man's skin.

"You're most definitely mine and I am yours," Bilbo said and smiled softly as his eyes met Thorin's.

(A/N: There you have it. Why not let me know what you think? Thanks for reading!)


	2. Chapter 2

(A/N: Well, you guys asked for it, and here it is, the continuation of my soul mates story. Once again, I don't own the Hobbit and I never will. So read and enjoy!)

Carry You with Me

Part 2

Thorin blushed and dropped his eyes, dipping his head to ghost his lips over the mark on Bilbo's skin in a return gesture of acknowledgement. And then they broke apart, both blushing as the initial magic of meeting one's soul mate faded into the real-world confusion of what to do with the situation. Awkwardly Thorin cleared his throat and took a sip of coffee before stepping back and returning to his task of washing glasses.

"So we've found each other," the older man said after a long moment in which Bilbo selected and finished another donut. Never in his life had he felt so out of place and distressed by the mere presence of another person.

"We have. The question becomes what to do about it," Bilbo swallowed the last of his coffee with a grimace, the cold dregs of an hour's old pot never tasted that pleasant. He hesitated, seemingly wondering whether it was appropriate to ask for more. "Personally I think we should get to know each other before we make any crazy decisions," he admitted, finally sliding the mug toward the edge of the bar and picking up his stack of papers.

"I would agree with that. Believe me, I've waited for the last few decades to find you, a few more weeks or months will not hurt, especially if it means ensuring that we are both comfortable with the relationship that we decide upon," Thorin stated, putting the final glass aside on the rack and drying his hands on a clean towel. He dumped the last of his own coffee down the drain and grabbed up Bilbo's cup before the other man could protest.

But Bilbo didn't look like he was in any state of mind to give protest. Either he was processing the comment from Thorin or he was completely absorbed in grading his papers, because he said nothing as Thorin vanished into the kitchen once again. The pot of coffee had long since finished brewing and he gladly poured them two fresh mugs, glad that Bilbo appeared to take his coffee black as he did himself. It was good to have at least a small something in common.

As far as what he expected out of the relationship, he had hopes that his soul mate would have been someone with whom he could share the rest of his days. He wanted a partner, a lover, a spouse. But Bilbo appeared to be no older than 30, if indeed he even was that old and for some people the ten year gap would be something of a deterrent. So he decided not to get his hopes up.

Once more, he gathered himself, looking for the strength to face down the young man that he had found himself bonded to. Were he not in his middle years, he would likely be far more aggressive about getting to the part where they decided what their relationship was going to be. But he had decided that patience would be best in this situation and he was not about to go back on that decision so quickly.

"Do you want something to eat besides donuts?" Thorin asked as he returned to the bar, setting the cup of steaming coffee down beside the thinning stack of papers where it was out of the way but still accessible. Bilbo looked up as he set yet another marked up paper aside and seemed to ponder the question for a moment.

"I think that I will be okay for now. What do you say you take a break and we have a conversation? You know, getting to know each other sometimes is easier when you talk about things," Bilbo said after a moment in which Thorin was sure he was going to be dismissed to the kitchen once again. Glad to be proven wrong he came around the bar and took the seat to Bilbo's left, where he himself would not be in the way of the other man's work.

"Well what is it that you would like to talk about. I wasn't going to bother you because you'd said that you wanted a quiet place to work," Thorin said, watching the automatic movements of Bilbo's hand as he marked the incorrect answers in red pen.

"For starters, I suppose we can go with the basics, we already know each other's occupations and names. I'm 27 years old. It has been my dream to teach my entire life, and to be perfectly honest with you, I find it to be difficult but satisfying," Bilbo said, all without ever pausing in his corrections. The pile of marked papers grew ever higher and the other pile had dwindled to only a few sheets. If nothing else, the young man was efficient.

"Ah, well, I'm 40 years old; I inherited this business from my father as he did from my grandfather. I also find it to be difficult but satisfying. Let's see, I have two nephews, one 23 the other 21. They stand to inherit the business from me and are already working quite ably as my night shift bartenders. Their mother is my sister; she's the only one I trust to run the kitchen. The cooks would likely get out of line if it weren't for her at the pass," Thorin explained, expecting the be stopped as soon as he mentioned his age and finding himself rather pleased when all the response he got from Bilbo was his attention.

"You don't look a day over 30, I'll have you know," Bilbo smiled as he placed the final paper off to the side and turned to his coffee and the conversation. "I have quite the number of cousins and second cousins, but I'm the last of my particular branch of the family. My parents always supported my dreams of being a teacher, and I believe that we are being watched by something more than your security cameras," Bilbo said grinning as a blush darkened Thorin's cheeks and the older man's head whipped around to the back of the bar where another door stood cracked open. Two curious faces were highlighted by a beam of sunlight and vanished as soon as they realized that they had been noticed.

"They'll be insufferable after this. Those were my nephews, Fili and Kili. I'm sure that if you stop by enough you'll meet them in person," Thorin said by way of an apology and Bilbo seemed to accept it for what it was. He smiled and took another long drink from his cup of coffee, watching as Thorin calmed himself down and picked out a donut. For the life of him Thorin couldn't figure out how those boys were up so early in the morning after the shift that they had pulled the night before. Or perhaps they were just getting back and heading to bed.

"Do you really think they'll suspect that you found your soul mate?" Bilbo asked curiously, his eyebrows rose almost to the point that they were hidden by his mop of curls. Thorin found the look to be absolutely endearing.

"There's no one else that I would leave the bar unattended for, or come sit beside. They know that much about me," Thorin admitted quietly, mostly to his coffee cup. Bilbo heard him though and smiled to himself.

"Glad to know that I'm a special case," Bilbo said with a more pronounced grin. He pulled the stack of papers together and stuffed them back into his backpack, Thorin noted that they had been marked but remained blank of grades.

"Very much so. Aren't you going to grade those? You went to the trouble of marking them," Thorin found himself saying, snagging another donut and shooting a glance toward the far door to ensure that they were alone.

"Later. It's a habit that I developed when I was student teaching. Mark now, grade later," Bilbo responded with a smile, also glancing at the door.

(I hope that you liked it folks! Please comment or review to let me know what you thought of it!)


	3. Chapter 3

(Hey folks, I'm back! Sorry I'm not working on anything else, but I'm writing because a friend of mine challenged me to write 1000 words before he gets off work, so I'm going to do it here. I don't own the Hobbit and I never will, so don't come crying to me for money. On with the show!)

Carry You with Me

Part 3

The next morning Thorin found himself with another disaster of a bar on his hands. There was a part of him was tempted to go after his nephews and get them to clean up the plastic shot glasses and to mop the floors, which were sticky in several strange locations, but the rest of him opted to be merciful. If he was being honest with himself he wasn't being merciful, he wanted to see Bilbo again and he wanted to be alone with the man that was apparently his soul mate.

So he whiled away the time until he expected the other man to show up with all the tasks that his nephews should have completed but had left undone. He wanted to be angry at the boys, but they were the most popular bartenders that he employed and turned a huge profit, so aside from being family he had cause to let them get away with it. Of course, he wouldn't let that be the case forever, they had to learn responsibility sometime, after all.

"Thorin? Did the floor do something to make you angry?" Bilbo asked and Thorin almost jumped out of his skin. He'd been so intent upon his task that he hadn't heard the door open, or Bilbo approaching him.

"No, the mop however, seems to be in quite a mood. Not fond of dried on strawberry syrup I suspect," Thorin replied after a moment, a slight flush adorning his cheeks. He and Bilbo had learned quite a lot about each other the day before, and had come to find that they shared a sense of humor, so it was a strong starting point.

"I don't think that anyone is, honestly," Bilbo said with a small smile spreading out on his face. He really was quite something to look at.

"I know I'm not. That's why I want it gone. But I suppose it could do with a soak. Would you like some coffee?" Thorin asked, trying not to touch the other man as he walked past, lest the electric zing of their soul bond leave him temporarily flustered and immobilized.

"Coffee sounds lovely. I apparently didn't have class this morning, but I did finish grading. Let me tell you, some of them are going to leave my class based on their initial grade alone. I'm debating not even putting this one in the books," Bilbo sighed and shook his head, "There were a few standouts at least, kids that genuinely seem to be interested in the history of Erebor and Middle Earth in general," he added and smiled again, snagging a seat at the bar and letting his backpack slip from his shoulder.

Thorin watched this happen and rescued the bag before it could impact the floor with its various unknown substances. There was a moment where all that Bilbo could do was stare, but then he swallowed his pounding heart and thanked Thorin in a quiet voice. The older man merely smiled and nodded, placing the bag on the bar top before continuing around it and heading for the kitchen.

No words existed to explain the thrill that had gone through Thorin in that moment and he was glad to have the kitchen to himself for a while. Of course he knew in the back of his mind that he had been trying to impress his soul mate, but somehow something as simple as catching a backpack didn't seem like enough.

"Get ahold of yourself old man," Thorin chided himself and grabbed two mugs. This morning he had left the coffee on a timer so he knew that it had brewed fresh less than fifteen minutes before hand.

"You sure that you're okay?" Bilbo asked as Thorin returned from the kitchen with their coffee and silently set them on the bar.

"Yeah, I'm fine. The boys left me a bit of a mess to clean up, so I could really use this right now. Both you and the coffee to be honest," Thorin admitted and happily came back around the bar so that he could sit beside Bilbo.

"I'm glad to be of use. What do you want to talk about this morning?" Bilbo responded with a much brighter smile. He seemed to be eyeing Thorin's empty left hand as it rested on the bar top and Thorin purposely edged it closer to the other man while attempting to look like he hadn't noticed.

"I was thinking you could tell me about why you decided to be a History Professor," Thorin offered up and tilted his head to look at Bilbo so that he knew that he was in fact being listened to. Bilbo sipped his coffee for a moment and edged his own hand closer, leaving Thorin to wonder if he was imagining the movement or not.

"Well I've been interested in history since I was a child. My father wasn't a Professor or anything, but he had a huge collection of books on all sorts of battles and mythologies. Those were what he read to me when it was time to go to bed, and once I learned to read for myself he started buying me my own books on the things that I had shown interest in. He encouraged me to pick up the extra credit in school any time that it pertained to history or anything psychology or sociology related. I'm awful at math, but I could always apply that extra credit to whatever grade I wanted and so usually brought my math grade up enough to make it through school without an issue," Bilbo said and paused to laugh at himself.

"School must have changed between the time I went and the time you went. If you were failing a class in my day you didn't have any extra credit to make it up with and your parents got to hear all about how awful you were as a student," Thorin said, filling in what was starting to become an awkward silence as their hands slowly came closer and closer to one another. It was a strange game that they were playing, or so it seemed until Bilbo boldly grabbed Thorin's hand and laced their fingers together.

"I'm supposing you just didn't go to a private school the way that I did. My parents had that kind of money to burn," Bilbo said with a shrug, making absolutely no comment about the fact that they were now holding hands. The electric feeling didn't seem to be fading, if anything it was intensifying for Thorin the longer their hands stayed linked. It was actually a rather pleasant feeling.

"No I didn't. God that must have been awful for you, schools like that have really high expectations of their students," Thorin said, deciding that he too could play along and remain silent about their hand holding and upped the ante by stroking his thumb along the back of Bilbo's hand. There was a moment in which he was convinced he had won as the younger man very softly sucked in and bit down on his bottom lip, but then he recovered flawlessly.

"They do, but there are also several freedoms that you're not allowed in public schooling. They trusted us to learn on our own in several areas, gave us access to advanced materials even if we weren't the proper age, and generally made sure that we were doing everything that we could to stay comfortable in our studies," Bilbo smiled softly and shook his head, "There was this really awesome beanbag chair in the lounge of my dorm, it was almost always taken, but the times I got the chance to sit on it and listen to the television while doing my homework are some of my favorite memories," he finished, taking another sip of his coffee and waiting for Thorin to ask another question.

"Was there another Thorin there?" the older man blurted out without thinking much of what he was saying. Bilbo blushed brightly and drew Thorin's hand closer to himself, finding his name on the other man's wrist and kissing it once again.

"There was, but he had 'Matilda' on his wrist. Plus he was something of a jock, and I don't have much interest in anything other than academics. What about you, have there been other Bilbo's" the younger man asked, not really allowing Thorin much of a chance to pull away.

"There have been a few, but none of them have ever been someone that I would have been interested in, nor did they have the right name on their wrists," Thorin said and it felt like he was admitting to having been complicit in a crime. How was it that he was so intimidated by someone so much younger than himself? Was it Bilbo's looks? Was it his intelligence? Or was this what it was supposed to feel like when finally meeting one's soul mate? Thorin didn't know, but he deeply wished that he could go back to feeling like his old self instead of the blushing sputtering mess that he had become.

He wasn't sure how Bilbo could be so bold and confident. Did Thorin not have the same effect on the shorter man? Did that mean something for their relationship; because Thorin was not very good at not being in control of himself or a given situation.

"You're doing fine Thorin, I'm only managing so well because I took a college course on what to do when you meet your soul mate," Bilbo assured as though he could read Thorin's mind. Were his discomforts really that obvious? Was he truly so transparent around the other man?

"So what am I supposed to do to stop feeling like I'm making a fool of myself every time I'm around you?" Thorin asked quietly, pulling their joined hands into his lap, for some reason unwilling to break their connection.

"You just act like yourself. I'm treating you like I would anyone else…well with the exception of the hand holding thing. It's difficult, but I'm managing," Bilbo said with a shrug and Thorin stared at him. Certainly it couldn't be that simple. But it was worth the try. So he swallowed his pounding heart, and attempted to ignore the tingling in his skin and looked at Bilbo again.

Somehow, this time, he didn't feel the urge to trip over his own tongue. Apparently, if he concentrated at least, it was that simple. So he gave himself a moment to collect his thoughts and sipped at his perfectly cooled coffee, savoring the bitterness of the drink.

"So why didn't you have class this morning? I thought you were dreading it?" Thorin asked, now entirely composed and calm about the situation. He was still amazed by how simple it was and wondered why there was an entire college course dedicated to it when it was so simple. Unless of course there were several tricks that he needed to learn.

"There was apparently a scheduling error. The kids that were supposed to be coming to this class never got it put on their timetables; several came by the office to tell me that they were confused as to why they had no timeslot for my course. So I talked to the administration and it turns out that about half of my students aren't actually listed as being in my classes. They're fixing the mistake and I have to start the course over next week on Monday. That's part of why I'm considering not counting this grade," Bilbo said and shrugged before draining the last of his coffee in a single gulp.

(A/N: I'm sorry to end it here, but if I keep going there's going to be a gigantic chapter and my computer won't upload it. Hopefully I will see you soon. Please leave me a comment or a review to let me know what you thought.)


	4. Chapter 4

(A/N: I know, I know, I should be working on other stories. But I've decided that the only way I'm going to get done with them all is if I just pick one at a time and power through working on it. So this is what you get.)

Carry you with Me

Part 4

Bilbo stepped into the bar, breathing in the air conditioning with a slight smile. He wore his hoodie even in the summer heat, but he appreciated the level of cold that Thorin seemed to desire for his business. The man in question was across the room, furiously scrubbing at the glassware once again. This time, however, there were two other men with him, one blonde, the other a brunet, both similarly occupied by the task of cleaning.

"Are these the nephews that I've heard so much about?" Bilbo said with a grin and watched sheepish expressions turn his way. He had caught a glimpse of their faces before, but couldn't quite remember what it was that they looked like.

"They are. Fili, Kili, meet Bilbo, now get back to cleaning," Thorin said and Bilbo would have thought that the other man was angry at the boys were it not for the half smile on his face as he spoke. As it was the boys both grumbled under their breath and continued to scrub their respective surfaces. Bilbo smiled cheerfully and stepped over to the bar, grabbing a seat near to where Thorin was scrubbing.

"Do you want me to help?" Bilbo offered, glancing at the one called Fili and noting that his hands were pruned up around the washcloth that he was using the scrub down the tables and chairs. The one called Kili seemed to have been spared the fate of his brother and instead was hunched over with a mop, furiously scouring the floor of any foreign substances.

"No, but I appreciate the offer. Would you like some coffee?" Thorin asked, setting another glass down to dry, his hands were also pruned up from exposure to the water. Bilbo wondered how long the three of them had been awake and cleaning the bar, considering it was his customary time of 9am already.

"Yes please," Bilbo said after a moment's pause during which he was totally not distracted by Thorin's face at all. He watched Thorin vanish into the kitchen and swiveled his head around once again, observing the pair of brothers that were hard at work cleaning the mess that they had left last night. Of course it was their mess; Thorin had said that they were his nighttime bartenders. But what Bilbo couldn't figure out was where they got the energy.

"Uncle says that you took a college class on soul mates," the blond one, Fili, said, splashing his rag into a wash bucket and moving to a table nearer to Bilbo's side of the bar. Surprised by the statement Bilbo paused and fumbled for the words, giving Thorin time to emerge from the kitchen with two steaming mugs of coffee.

"I did," Bilbo said at last, causing Thorin to raise a curious eyebrow, throwing a glance toward his nephews.

"What did it say about sibling soul mates?" Fili asked, looking past Bilbo into Thorin's eyes. The professor saw nothing but coldness in that face and wondered just what it was that the brothers had gone through.

"That they aren't uncommon. The magic picks your soul mate for you, based on who is most compatible with you. It isn't unreasonable that that person be a family member. It also isn't uncommon for those bonds to be romantic in nature. However, it is still generally looked down upon if, say, that pair were to have a child. The magic can only protect against so much," Bilbo said, hoping that he remembered all of it.

At some point Fili and Kili's attentions had both shifted to Bilbo, and the small man was certain that he could feel Thorin's eyes burning a hole in the back of his head. And then all at once, like someone letting the air out of a balloon, the brothers deflated. Each sagged into the nearest available chair and covered their face with their hands. There was something of a prolonged sigh from behind him and Bilbo turned to look at Thorin, finding the other man to be resting his head against the bar.

"Why don't you two go to bed? You've got to be up in a few hours to help your mother in the kitchen," Thorin said at long last and raised his head to look at his nephews, his eyes seeming to avoid Bilbo entirely.

"Right. Good night Uncle," the one called Kili finally spoke and stood from the chair that he had been sitting in, extending his hand toward his brother. Without a word, Fili rose from his own seat and wandered over to his brother, calmly taking his hand and following him out of the room, through the door that Bilbo had noticed before.

"They're soul mates then?" Bilbo asked when Thorin was not immediately forthcoming with the information.

"They are," Thorin said and nodded as he came around to join Bilbo at the bar.

"Who is it that doesn't approve?" Bilbo questioned, curious as to who in the family that he had heard so much about could be so callous toward the pair of siblings.

"Their father would be the one. He and Dis aren't together anymore because she wouldn't tolerate him trying to keep her sons apart when they were meant to be together. His assumption was that the bond would be a romantic one," Thorin smiled morbidly for a moment and looked up at Bilbo. "It isn't, but I wouldn't care if it was. I just want them to be happy," he said and slipped his hand into Bilbo's.

"I would want the same thing," the smaller man said and squeezed Thorin's hand tightly. He couldn't imagine someone telling their children that they couldn't be with their soul mate. Actually he was pretty sure that it was illegal to prevent someone from being with their soul mate. He wasn't sure that he could live without the familiar tingle in his skin from Thorin's touch.

"I'm glad. I don't think I could be with someone that would deny my nephews their happiness," Thorin admitted and chanced a glance over at Bilbo.

"No, that's perfectly understandable. What I can't figure out is how your sister could have had someone in her life that was so obviously incompatible," the smaller man said, scratching his head with his free hand before grabbing up the coffee mug and blowing over the surface of the liquid to cool it.

"They weren't soul mates. But they were young and in love and thought that it wouldn't matter if they were together. And to be fair, the problems didn't start until after we found out that the boys were soul mates. That seemed to be the core of the issue," Thorin said with something that resembled a shrug, though it could have simply been his shoulders sagging, Bilbo wasn't sure which.

(A/N: Well that's all for now. I hope that you enjoyed it. Please leave me a review if you like it, or just to let me know what you think.)


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